10,000 Years Ago
by blueunicorndust
Summary: "The history of the royal family of Hyrule is also the history of Calamity Ganon, a primal evil that has endured over the ages...So listen closely as I tell you of this 'legend' that occurred 10,000 years ago." Link and Zelda continue their life after the adventures of Skyward Sword. They are responsible for making sure that Demise's incarnation will never destroy their land.
1. Chapter 1

It was finally over. Link and Zelda turned to each other, both wondering what would happen next in this new land on the ground.

"So what's the first thing on our to-do list?" Zelda inquired to Link.

"You're the one who wanted to live down here! How should I know?" Link laughed in response.

"Hmph. Well, you're right. I guess if we're going to live down here, we actually need a place to live, like a village or something."

"Well the first thing we should do is connect the Faron, Lanayru, and Eldin regions. You know, so we can actually travel the land without having to fall from the sky. I want to keep my feet on the ground from here on out!" Link exclaimed.

Zelda thought it over, and finally replied, "That's the best place to start. Our new home could be at the center of the three regions!"

"There's one problem, however. Who's going to help us?" Link inquired with a slight eye roll, but still grinning. Zelda didn't intend to dig through swaths of earth herself, did she? "I'm sure a few people from Skyloft will be interested in joining us once Groose tells them all about his adventures. And the Kikwi and Mogma will be willing to help. But is that enough?"

"Of course not, silly! The Sheikah are going to help us, too!" laughed Zelda with a huge smile. "If my knowledge from Hylia is right, I only have to pray at a statue of the Goddess and help will be on the way! They are sworn to protect me after all, being a descendant of Hylia." Zelda noted the confused expression on Link's face, and suppressed a sigh. Sure, he's a hero, but sometimes he doesn't think. "Did you think Impa was the only Sheikah in this entire land?"

"That's going to take some getting used to, you having all this wisdom and everything," Link mused. "But I guess you're right. It wouldn't make sense for her to be the only one. I just...hadn't thought about it before," he added, feeling bashful. "I was too busy saving you."

She blushed and smiled. He's so adorable, if not stupid sometimes, she thought with a smile. But he's still my hero. "So shall we go see if my plan works?"

Link took her hand and started making his way towards the Goddess statue. "Of course. I don't want to do this alone!"

* * *

"Please, to those sworn to protect the descendant of Hylia, hear my prayer. I am in need of your help. I am the Faron region waiting for you..."

Link stared in awe as Zelda prayed at the statue. She glowed with soft, yellow light as she spoke, and her voice reverberated in his head.

With a sigh, Zelda turned around. "I hope one of them will be here soon to confirm my prayer actually worked."

"Well I think it did. I could hear you loud and clear in my head, and you were glowing. So if none of them show up, they're super deaf," Link responded, still in awe of her power.

"What do you mean you could hear me in your head? You mean you heard me talking, right?" Zelda asked, puzzled by what he meant.

"Surely you must know, your highness," a new voice answered. Zelda and Link turned towards the entrance of the temple, shocked at the sudden appearance of the Sheikah. He was tall, muscular, and looked to be a few years older than Link and Zelda.

"Know what?" Zelda asked. "And just who are you, where did you come from, and how did you get here so quick?"

"With your wisdom, you should know that the Goddess and her chosen Hero share a bond fueled by the magic of the Triforce. And forgive me for interrupting. I was at a nearby temple, awaiting your call. My name is Oman Au," the stranger Sheikah replied, his red eyes glinting with amusement.

"I guess that makes sense," Link piped up, turning red as Zelda turned to him with a puzzled look. "When I first lost you to that tornado, I had a feeling that you weren't, well...dead. I sensed you, I guess." He turned to Oman Au, changing the subject. "So you were in a temple, like Impa had been all these years? You look rather...young to have such a task."

Oman Au smiled. "Well, temple isn't quite the right word. It's more of a shrine. But why does my age matter?" Link got a sheepish smile and shrugged his shoulders as Oman Au laughed. "It has been many years, I'll let you know that much. But I have a special purpose to serve, though that is neither here or now. What's important is why you have need of our services, my lady."

"Please, call me Zelda," Zelda awkwardly responded. Goddess descendant or not, I despise formalities. "We...I...called you because we need help settling in this land. We need to know how to unite the regions and build a safe village for anyone who wants to join us."

"Well it's a good thing you called for me, Zelda," Oman Au stated. "We Sheikah pride ourselves on our advancements. Those like myself who look after shrines also work on creating new items to help with everyday life. For example," he continued while pulling out a mechanical looking beetle, "these are useful in our villages to get fruit that would otherwise be impossible to reach."

"Wait, I have one of those as well! I found it in a dungeon!" Link stammered incredulously. "There's more of them? And just where are these villages? I saw nothing of the sort on my journey!"

Both Zelda and Oman Au chuckled at him. "They are hidden in remote parts of this land, so heroes like you don't wander upon them and cause mayhem!" Oman Au joked. He continued on with a more serious tone, "If you would like, I can take you to one tomorrow. Not only will we have more hands to help out with your project, but we can see what other inventions might help us out."

"Sure, that sounds fantastic, Oman Au!" Zelda exclaimed. "I can't wait to meet more of the Sheikah and discover their way of life!"

"Perfect. Then we'll head out tomorrow at dawn," Oman Au replied. "You two settle in here at the temple. I'll make sure it's protected, then wake you when we need to head out."

* * *

"Link? Are you still awake?" Zelda whispered in the dark, unable to sleep. I want to talk to him about this 'bond' Oman Au mentioned earlier.

"What is it, Zelda? Are you okay?" Link sleepily replied.

"Yes, I'm fine, but there's a million questions floating around my head." She shuffled closer to where Link had settled down earlier. "This...bond Oman Au mentioned, you said you could feel it? How?"

"Well...I'm not exactly sure. Maybe I just have an emptier head than you, but there's this...sensation at the back of my skull. I first noticed it when you were blown away in the tornado, like I mentioned earlier," he said. "Why are you so interested in this right now, anyway? We need to be sleeping."

"Because while I was lying awake, I tried to feel this bond, but I couldn't. And it worried me. You sense something, why can't I?" Zelda said, with a note of despair in her voice.

Link sighed. "Come here." Zelda scooted right next to Link, close enough that they could make out each other's faces in the dark. "Look at me. Just because you can't feel it right now, doesn't mean you won't be able to. I think the reason I felt it so strongly was because I thought you were dead. I thought I lost you." He turned his head away. "I was so upset that night when I regained consciousness and had to talk to your father about what happened. My best friend was gone because I failed her." A tear slid down his face as Zelda put a hand on his shoulder, her heart squeezing. "But when I drew the Master Sword, that feeling in the back of my head appeared. It felt like you, your confidence, your happiness, your...spirit. That's when I knew you were still with me." He looked back up at Zelda, putting a gentle hand on her cheek. "That's also when I realized how much I cared about you. I had always liked you, even harbored a small crush on you," he confessed with a small smile. "But having you torn from me, leaving so much unsaid…I realized how much I love you," he whispered faintly as he leaned in to kiss her.

Zelda's eyes widened in shock for a brief moment, then shut as a thousand butterflies rushed through her at once. For the most wonderful moment, it was just the two of them in the entire universe. She let her mind clear as she focused on the way his lips felt against hers, how this moment had happened far later than she originally planned. And as she focused on this kiss, she felt a tingling sensation in the back of her head. She pulled back in surprise.

"Is everything okay? Did I rush you? I'm sorry, I thought you felt the same…" Link stammered out the beginning of an apology.

"No, it's not that! I...I felt something like you were describing!" Zelda exclaimed, putting her hand on Link's mouth to get him to be quiet. "When you kissed me, you were all I could focus on. Every little worry I'd had disappeared, and I felt a tingling sensation at the back of my skull that felt like you!"

"So wait...does that mean…" Link began.

"I love you too, Link," Zelda cut him off, kissing him again.

"Well I was going to ask if that meant you could stop worrying and let us get some sleep," Link joked after breaking off their second kiss. "But knowing that you love me back is good, too!"

Zelda gently pushed him away. "What is it with you and sleep?"

"What is it with you and pushing?" he retorted. "The Goddess statue, not sensing my Loftwing…"

"Oh, fine," Zelda huffed with a smile. "You win. But only this once!"

Link grabbed her by the waist, pulling her back to where he had originally been sleeping. "I'll take it. But I'll never let you forget this little victory!"

Zelda sighed, snuggling closer to Link. "Of course not. Now let's get some sleep. Who knows what tomorrow has in store for us?"

* * *

 **AN: So this is my first ever fanfiction, hope you all enjoy it! Sorry if it's a little rough to start with! This is my take on what happened 10,000 years before BoTW, official timelines (mostly) be damned. The bond is a reference to the fact that in most Zelda games, Zelda can communicate telepathically with Link. Oman Au was chosen based on one of the shrines in BoTW and where I think it would be in relation to Skyward Sword (the location of the Forgotten Temple in BoTW and the Sealed Temple in SS don't quite match up...but whatever lol, geography is hard!). If you'd like, please leave a review and tell me what you think! I'm not going to upload on a regular schedule because I don't force myself to write when I'm not in the mood for it.**


	2. Chapter 2

_She was staring down at the Master Sword, feeling an aura of evil around the blade. "How is Demise back so soon?" she wondered aloud to herself. A boy with light auburn hair, no older than 16 it seemed, appeared in front of her._

" _Can you feel it, Zelda? This is what our ancestors warned us about."_

 _As she was about to reply, feeling confused, another voice replied behind her._

" _You're right, I feel the malice all around the area. But what can we do? I'm worried that if you pull the sword, the evil will be set free from its imprisonment. We have no way of stopping it on our own if that happens."_

 _Zelda whipped around to see a young girl with long, blonde hair, similar to herself, had been the one to answer._ Where am I, _Zelda wondered,_ and why does she share my name?

 _The scene shifted. Suddenly she was surrounded by an ominous black cloud, filled with hatred. She could barely make out a body through the haze. As she moved closer, she realized it was the boy she had seen earlier. His body was beaten and bloody, his limbs at odd angles, and a pool of blood surrounded him. Yet he had the Master Sword still in his left hand. It was clear he had not gone down without a fight._

 _She could not stay, however. With a sudden upheaval, Zelda was now above the dark cloud looking down on the land. She could see the Sealed Temple, or at least, what remained of it. It had been torn apart, flattened...destroyed. When she looked the opposite direction, she saw what appeared to be a village. She realized with a sickening jolt that was where this cloud was heading._

 _Once again, everything around her shifted. She seemed to be in the middle of the village she saw from above. Bodies of people she didn't recognize littered the path, and the stench of blood made her nauseous. A fire roared through the houses, ensuring that if anyone survived this massacre, they would no longer have a safe place to live. As she walked through the village, she stumbled upon the charred body of the girl who shared her name._

" _What happened? How did we fail you like this?" she asked the dead body in despair, not expecting a response. She knew deep in her gut that this girl, this Zelda, shared her bloodline, and was her descendant. "I'll make sure this is a fate you never have to suffer. I'll find a way to help you from the past."_

* * *

Zelda awoke in a cold sweat, feeling tears in her eyes. _I must make sure this land is safe from Demise. I will_ never _let that happen,_ she silently vowed to herself. She rose from beside Link, careful not to disturb him.

"Awake so soon, Zelda?" Oman Au asked from a dark corner of the temple. _Did he even sleep?_ Zelda wondered.

"I...had a nightmare. At least," she stuttered, "what I _hope_ is only a nightmare. Oman Au...I fear for the future of the land."

"And why is this? What troubles you so?" he inquired, moving closer.

"This nightmare I had...I saw the Master Sword, and I felt an ominous presence around it. There were a boy and a girl there, similar to Link and me. They had come to check on the sword, noting the same presence I felt. Then it changed. I saw the boy holding the Master Sword, but he was dead. A village had been destroyed, and the girl was also dead." As she recounted this, another wave of nausea hit as she remembered all the blood. "I have a feeling that I was seeing my descendant, and Link's spirit reincarnated." She paused, losing her voice. _I failed them._

"So you're concerned that Demise will come back and destroy everything you and Link will have created. You want to be able to protect those who come after you. If I may be so bold...what do you plan to do to protect your land?" Oman Au finished.

"I don't know yet. But I won't be satisfied until I know this land will be safe for ages to come," Zelda stated. "Who knows. If I keep having these dreams, these... _visions_...maybe they'll clue me in on what to do."

"I would expect no less from you," Oman Au responded. "You can accomplish more than you realize. Now I do believe it's time to wake Link so we can set off."

* * *

"The village I'm taking you to is to the east of here," Oman Au stated as the group made their way through the dense trees. "This land might look like it's not well connected, if at all, but you have to know how to navigate it to get anywhere."

"I guess that explains why I never found this village," Link replied with a grumpy tone. He hated getting up so early.

"Well, you had more important things to do than explore aimlessly, anyway!" Zelda chirped, doing her best to mask her feelings from earlier in the morning.

They traveled at a steady rate for the next hour, watching as the light filtering through the trees changed from gray to a brilliant pink.

As they kept walking, the trees started thinning out in front of them. Sounds of metal hitting metal, and strange animal noises could be heard from up ahead. Various tools had been left to the side of the path, including some of the mechanical beetles in fruit baskets.

An arch came into view, and the group was surprised as a robot appeared before them. It stumbled around on three mechanical legs, and had an eye that reminded Link of the Beamos he had encountered in the Lanayru Mining Facility.

" _This is an ancient security mechanism. Its weak point is its eye. The eye is also a weapon that fires a focused energy beam," Fi stated as Link dodged said energy beam._

" _Thanks, Fi. Though, that would have been good to know BEFORE I got shot at…"_

The strange robot made a high pitched noise. Its body glowed with a red light, and it inched closer to the group.

A Sheikah man came running out of one of the houses, alerted by the robot. He looked alarmed, but as he got closer, he relaxed as he recognized Oman Au.

"Shutdown defense sequence. These people are friends," the man said. The robot immediately stopped making noise, and glowed with an orange light. It scooted up to the group to get a good look at everyone.

"Sorry about that," the man continued. "This little guy is one of the newest inventions, designed to help keep our village safe. It was brought to us by Ja Baij," he mentioned, directing it towards Oman Au, who nodded in response. "However, it still has a few kinks that need to be worked out. You all don't look threatening. No offense."

"None taken, Kossill. So how are you, my old friend?" Oman Au replied, embracing the man known as Kossill.

"Great! Hankala has been thriving. Monsters have stopped attacking, and we know peace for the first time in ages," Kossill said.

"Well, you have Link and Zelda here to thank for that." Oman Au gestured to the two. "Zelda has the blood of Hylia, and Link is her hero."

"Then welcome to the humble village of Hankala, my heroes," Kossill stated as he got on one knee, bowing his head.

"Thank you," Zelda replied. "If you don't mind me asking...what exactly is this...thing?" she asked, gesturing towards the robot.

"Well, it doesn't quite have a name yet. It was designed to guard our village, and the others throughout the land, against the monster attacks, so I guess it's a guardian of sorts," Kossill replied, getting back up on two feet. "It is able to recognize monsters and attack them without us getting involved."

* * *

As Kossill showed them around Hankala, Link and Zelda couldn't help but stare in wonder. The village was bustling with activity, from children playing in the path to groups of people cooking over a fire. They all shared the same red eyes and white hair that Impa and Oman Au possessed. There were carts being pulled by a strange creature called a horse, and there were various other animals kept in pens. Finally, they reached a large, ornate house.

"This is where our leader, Yanna, lives. She is the oldest and wisest amongst us," Kossill explained.

"Thank you so much for everything, Kossill!" Zelda exclaimed, grateful for everything he had shown them in this small village.

"It was my pleasure, Zelda. If you require anything from me, I'll be back at my house." Kossill departed, allowing them to speak to Yanna.

They entered the house and were greeted by a woman who reminded them of Impa. "To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from the Goddess descendant herself?" Yanna asked.

"We want to settle this land, and we need help to do so. Oman Au believed we could find help here, so we come to ask for just that," Zelda replied, stepping aside to allow Link and Oman Au to be seen.

"Ah, Oman Au. I trust everything is well with your shrine?" Yanna inquired.

"Of course. I would not have left otherwise," Oman Au responded.

"Good. And Link, Hero of the Skies and Surface. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for stopping Demise. Without you, our village would still be suffering from endless monster attacks."

"I...uh...you're welcome!" Link stammered, turning red. He had not expected such praise from Yanna.

"Now, to answer your inquiry," Yanna continued. "We have many men and women who are capable of helping you. Since peace has come back to the land, many of them want to see the world, and I believe they would be perfect for this task. I will send word to them to meet me tomorrow. You should be there as well. Kossill will be one of them, so you are welcome to stay with him for the night."

"Thank you, Yanna. We appreciate it," Zelda replied, bowing her head in respect.

* * *

Oman Au departed after their meeting with Yanna, needing to get back to his shrine now that his duty had been fulfilled. Link and Zelda explored the village on their own, wanting to learn as much as they could. They discovered that the strange animals they saw earlier were called cows and cuccos, and that they helped provide food for the Sheikah. They also saw that many of the Sheikah worked on their own inventions, rather than only relying on those like Oman Au in the shrines to help them.

As the day wore on, the two decided to find some privacy to talk and settled down on a hill overlooking Hankala.

"So tell me what's on your mind," Link started. "You've seemed...off all day."

"What do you mean? I'm fine!" Zelda replied indignantly.

"No, you're not. When you woke me up this morning, I could feel your distress. Something was wrong, and it's been on your mind all day." Link saw she was about to argue back and added, "Don't hide it. I can sense it, you know."

She sighed. "I was going to wait to tell you, but...I had a disturbing dream, possibly a vision, last night." She described her dream for the second time that day. "But after seeing Hankala, and how advanced the Sheikah are, I have hope. I feel like they might be the key to stopping what I saw."

Link put his arm around her, pulling her close. "What do you mean?"

"That robot thing that first attacked us. When I saw it, and how it responded so easily to Kossill, it just...felt right, if that makes sense." Zelda sighed again. "And many of the Sheikah are so gifted. They've created so much! I don't know, maybe I'm wrong, but I feel like the answer lies with the Sheikah _somehow_."

Link kissed her head. "Don't worry about it too much right now, Zelda. After all, we still have to settle this land in the first place!"

She laughed. "You're right. Even though I'm not going to stop worrying about it _completely_ , I guess there are other matters to attend to. I felt so confident about everything at first," she confessed. "I guess I thought everything would be so easy. But, to be honest, I have no idea how to even start. All I know is that we should connect the three regions. In Skyloft, it was so simple. Everything was already set up for us."

"Isn't this why we wanted help in the first place?" Link asked, trying to calm her. He could sense she was close to breaking down. "The Sheikah have been down here for ages, and they're doing alright for themselves. Oman Au wouldn't let us fail, I'm sure of that. That's why he brought us here, right?" He turned her face towards his and gently kissed her. "If you're so worried, mention it in the meeting tomorrow. Yanna is wise, I'm sure she'll have advice for you."

"I guess you're right... _again_." She put her head on his shoulder. "I don't want us to fail."

"We won't, Zelda. I promise."


End file.
